Weighted diaper



Sept. 13, 1949. D. WILSON WEIGHTED DIAPER Filed may 22, 1947 me/who@ @Hoa/nw Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES TENT. OFFICE 5 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a hygienic device for use in connection with the care of infants, and particularly male infants.

During the bathing and drying and related care of infants, especially baby boys, and during medical treatments and examinations and the like, it frequently happens that the infant when in a supine position involuntarily urinates in small quantities. This is an annoyance because it in'- terferes with the drying, powdering or other care being given, or with the conduct of the medical treatment or examination. It is also unhygienic from the standpoint of the infants welfare and also from the standpoint of the welfare of the mother, doctor, nurse or other individual performing the care or the treatment or the examination. At such times, use is often made of conventional diapers as a protective measure but there are several disadvantages to this practice. Conventional diapers are bulky and their use hampers the care being given by covering too large an area of the infants body. Furthermore the infants squirming and wriggling during the care usually works the diaper down on his body so far that it does not serve its intended protective purpose. A still further disadvantage in the use of diapers at such times, is that a diaper so used is a relatively large article to launder considering the small extent to which it becomes soiled.

The objects of this invention are, therefore, to provide a small, easily laundered hygienic device for use during the care, examination or treatment of infants in homes, pediatricians offices, hospitals or the like; to provide such a device having suflicient absorptive area to absorb the small quantities of urine passed by an infant during the relatively brief periods of care indicated above; to provide such a hygienic device which may readily and easily be applied to the crotch of a supine infant, and removed therefrom; and to provide such a device which, when so applied, will tend to remain in position notwithstanding movements of the infant.

The above objects are attained by, and the invention nds preferable embodiments in the device hereinafter described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view of an infant lying in a supine position and with the hygienic device of this invention applied to the crotch 0f the infant;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the hygienic device per se;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the same taken on line 3 3 or Figure y2r; and

, stitching l..

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the same taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring now in detail to this drawing, the hygienic device there shown generaly comprises a pair of identical, substantially triangular sheets 5, 6 of launderable, absorbent material similar to ,that from which Aconventional diapers are made.

These sheets 5, 6 are placed together in registry with each other, and the straight upper marginal edges thereof are sewn together by a row of The registering .lower and outer edges of the device 'are preferably of concave conlguration and the adjacent marginal edges of the sheets at the opposite sides of the device are stitched together by the rows of stitching 8 and 9 respectively. In this manner is formed a generally triangular device comprising two plies oi Vabsorbent material and as best seen in Figure 2 the three corners of the device are truncated and are stitched across inwardly of their extremities las at IB, II and I2 to form pockets I3, I4 and I5 respectively.

Weights I6, Il and I8 are inserted in the open ends of the pockets I3, I4 and I5 respectively, said weights being formed of a relatively heavy, rustproof metal, or of a relatively heavy metal core plated with a rustproof material. The open ends of the pockets I3, I4 and I5 are then closed by rows of stitching I9, 20 and 2| across the extreme marginal edges of the truncated corners of the device, and the Weights are thus permanently secured within the corner pockets of the device.

In use, the hygienic device is laid over the crotch of the supine infant, with the straight upper edge thereof across the infants abdomen and with the weighted corner opposite said straight upper edge depending between the infants legs. The other two weighted corners of the device depend alongside the opposite outer thighs of the infant, and the concave lower or outer edges of the device generally conform to the inner thighs of the infant. The weights tend to maintain the device in position over the infants genital region even though the infant may twist and turn under the device. Manifestly extreme or sudden movements of the infant may displace the device but it can quickly and easily be replaced by the attendant.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims is not to be limited to or by details of the particular embodiment thereof hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawing.

I claim:

1. A hygienic device for use in the care of a supine infant, comprising: a substantially triangular sheet of absorbent material adapted for disposition over the infants crotch with one corner thereof depending between the legs of the infant and the other two corners thereof depending alongside the opposite outer thighs of the infant, and Weights attached to all three corners of said triangular sheet and tending to maintain said sheet in position on the infant notwithstanding movements of the infant.

2. A hygienic-device for use in the care of a supine infant, comprising; a pair of substantially triangular sheets of absorbent material stitched together along their marginal edges and adapted for disposition over the infants crotch with one corner thereof depending between the legs of the infant and the other two corners thereof depending alongside the opposite outer thighs of the infant, and weights disposed in the three pockets formed between the corner portions of said triangular sheets and stitched Within said pockets, said weights tending to maintain the sheets in position on the infant notwithstanding movements of the infant.

3. A hygienic device for use in the care of a supine infant, comprising: a substantially triangular sheet of launderable absorbent material adapted for disposition lover the infants crotch with one corner thereof depending between the legs of the infant and the other two corners thereof depending alongside the opposite outer thighs of the infant, and rustproof metal weights attached to all three corners of said triangular sheet and tending to maintain said sheet in position on the infant notwithstanding movements of the infant.

4. A hygienic device for use in the care of a supine infant, comprising: a pair of substantially triangular sheets of launderable absorbent material stitched together along their marginal edges and adapted for disposition over the infants crotch with one corner thereof depending between the legs of the infant and the other two corners thereof depending alongside the opposite outer thighs of the infant, and rustproof metal weights disposed in the three pockets formed between the corner portions of said triangular sheets and stitched within said pockets, said weights tending to maintain the sheets in position on the infant notwithstanding movements of the infant.

5. The method of making a hygienic device for use in the care of a supine infant, which method comprises: providing two substantially triangular sheets of absorbent material; stitching the sheets together in registry along their adjacent marginal edges; truncating the corners of said sheets; stitching the sheets together across the adjacent corners thereof spacedly from the extremities of said corrners thus forming pockets; inserting weights in said pockets; and nally stitching the sheets together across the extreme marginal edges of their adjacent truncated corners and thus closing said pockets.

DOROTHY WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,758,740 Gale May 13, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 418,767 France Oct. 8, 1910 840,206 France Jan. l1, 1939 

